Jumpstart
Bear Meets Some Friends … Bear was preparing himself for an adventure. But before he did, he decided to try to swing on the swing. He got on it, surprisingly able to balance himself well. He swung happily. But then the chair broke, and Bear fell to the ground. ‘’Ouch,’’ Bear uttered. ‘’That hurt!’’ But really, Bear was okay. He just wanted to go on an adventure. He hoped that it would be the longest adventure yet. Bear turned on the TV. Nothing came on. Then, Bear got pulled inside the TV. He could see nothing at first. Then, a voice announced, ‘’And now, our Feature Presentation.’’ Then the words ‘’Feature Presentation’’ appeared on the screen. Bear saw nothing but black again. ‘’I can’t see anything!’’ he cried. Then, a field appeared, and Bear came downward, finally touching the ground. He landed hard---again. ‘’Ouch,’’ he said. Then Bear looked around. It was nighttime, and the moon was still out. But Bear had a feeling that daylight would begin soon. Soon, the stars began to fade, one by one, and then the sun rose high in the sky. Bear could see that it was eerily quiet. Then, he took a better look at where he was and gasped. He was on the sidewalk, in front of a big red school. Bear marveled about the word ‘’School’’ hung up on top of it, even though nobody needed to actually know what it was. Bear waited some more. Then, he saw someone walking up the path. It was Eleanor. ‘’Hi. I’m Eleanor,’’ Eleanor greeted. She was pink, with a purple bow tie and a skirt of the same color. She also spoke with a calm, soft voice. ‘’I’m Bear,’’ Bear replied. ‘’Bear?’’ asked Eleanor. ‘’Are you friendly? Cause I’ve heard that some bears are very aggressive.’’ ‘’What…? Of course I am friendly!’’ Bear protested. ‘’Why would I not be friendly?’’ ‘’I was just making sure,’’ Eleanor replied. ‘’Well, do you live in a house?’’ Bear asked. ‘’Of course!’’ answered Eleanor. ‘’Let me show you.’’ So Eleanor led Bear to her house. It was remarkably bookless and toy-less. ‘’It’s a nice house,’’ Bear remarked. ‘’Thank you,’’ Eleanor said. ‘’What are your favorite books about?’’ Bear wanted to know. ‘’Well, about trees and flowers,’’ Eleanor answered. ‘’Why?’’ Bear inquired. ‘’I like their colors,’’ Eleanor explained. ‘’Wow!’’ Bear cried. ‘’That’s it?’’ ‘’Yep,’’ replied Eleanor. ‘’It’s a pleasure to meet you, Eleanor,’’ Bear announced. Just then, someone else came along. It was Hopsalot. ‘’Hello. I’m Hopsalot.’’ ‘’Oh, and this is Bear,’’ Eleanor added. ‘’Is he safe?’’ Hopsalot worried. ‘’Very,’’ Eleanor emphasized. ‘’I was wondering the same thing.’’ ‘’Isn’t it obvious? I AM friendly,’’ Bear said. ‘’Yes, yes, we understand that…’’ Hopsalot replied. ‘’And why are you here, Bear?’’ Eleanor put in, ‘’Well, I’m eager to go on an adventure,’’ Bear clarified. ‘’I hope it’s a really, really long one!’’ ‘’Whoa,’’ Hopsalot uttered with amazement. ‘’Wow, I didn’t know you liked long adventures,’’ Eleanor added. ‘’Who doesn’t? Now let’s get going!’’ Bear cried. ‘’You got it!’’ Eleanor said. So, Bear, Eleanor, and Hopsalot went off in a car. Before long, their car---which was a convertible---suddenly hit a rock, and the three of them went flying toward the ocean. Bear thought that this was a good place to start the adventure. The three friends passed a lighthouse. Then they went down into the ocean, deeper and deeper, until finally they hit some sand. Dark blue water was all that they could see. They quickly swam toward the surface and gasped for air. ‘’Well, this is a good place to explore,’’ Hopsalot remarked. ‘’Yes, but let’s dive again,’’ Eleanor suggested. ‘’You got it!’’ was Hopsalot’s eager response. The three of them held their breath and dove again. They were amazed to see that the ocean was so huge, endlessly trailing ahead. Together, the friends traveled until a dolphin stopped them. ‘’Are you traveling across this ocean?’’ asked the dolphin. ‘’Yes, we are, what’s so bad about that?’’ Eleanor responded. ‘’Well, ahead of you is a whirlpool,’’ the dolphin declared. ‘’''A WHIRLPOOL?!?!’’ ''Hopsalot cried, for he was very afraid of whirlpools. ‘’Yes, and the powerful force of it will suck you right into another world,’’ the dolphin continued. ‘’You never can tell WHICH world you’ll be in.’’ ‘’Are you lying?’’ Bear asked suspiciously. ‘’No, I’m not,’’ the dolphin answered. The three travelers gasped. ‘’But we can’t stop right now!’’ Bear said confidently. ‘’Our adventure has just begun.’’ ‘’That’s the spirit,’’ the dolphin agreed. ‘’I hope you three have a nice, long adventure.’’ ‘’Exactly what ''I ''wanted it to be!’’ Bear realized. ‘’Good luck,’’ the dolphin returned before disappearing from view. Bear, Eleanor, and Hopsalot nervously swam on, hoping with all their might that the whirlpool that they were going to get sucked into didn’t make them go in an unknown place. Sure enough, they found the whirlpool. They reached the surface and gasped for air. The water was rapidly spinning, instantly eliminating anyone who entered it. And this whirlpool was ''especially ''ominous. The three friends started to swirl along with the water. The force was very powerful, indeed, and it dared not release the three helpless travelers. Soon, they vanished into the whirlpool…. The friends saw a tunnel. They slid down it, terrified out of their minds. They were still hoping that all would be better soon, though. Soon, Bear, Eleanor, and Hopsalot found themselves surrounded by grass. Strange grass shapes surrounded them. Above them was a glaring sun, its rays too beautiful to resist. The friends then saw some yellow flowers. ‘’How beautiful!’’ Hopsalot marveled. ‘’Yeah, I think so, too!’’ Eleanor added. Then, Wubbzy bounced by them at top speed. ‘’After him!’’ directed Hopsalot. ‘’He’s bouncing too fast!’’ The friends raced after Wubbzy, but he was much quicker. ''Boing, boing, boing, ''Wubbzy’s tail went as he zoomed ahead of the travelers. ‘’Stop!’’ Eleanor shouted. ‘’What are you doing?’’ yelled Hopsalot. ‘’Stop bouncing this instant!’’ Bear concluded. But Wubbzy was bouncing too fast to pay any attention to them. Eventually, Eleanor used a lasso to pull Wubbzy back toward them. ‘’Whoa, wait, what’s going on?’’ a baffled Wubbzy wondered. ‘’Didn’t you see?’’ Eleanor scolded. ‘’You were bouncing too fast! You might’ve caused an accident! I ought to tie up your tail!’’ ‘’Wait, what?’’ was what Wubbzy said next. Eleanor wrapped Wubbzy’s tail around him, until he could barely see. ‘’''Mmm mmmm mmmm mmm mm mm!’’ ''Wubbzy mumbled desperately. (‘’Put this tail off of me!’’) ‘’Oops! Sorry,’’ apologized Eleanor sheepishly. She untied Wubbzy’s tail. ‘’But please try to be careful next time, okay?’’ ‘’I will,’’ Wubbzy replied, still a little dazed. ‘’Oh, and I’m Wubbzy.’’ ‘’Nice,’’ Hopsalot commented. ‘’You have any friends?’’ Bear asked. ‘’Oh, yes!’’ Wubbzy cried eagerly. ‘’I have a friend named Widget. Come on, let me introduce you to her.’’ So the friends started off toward Widget’s workshop. Widget was a real problem-solver, not to mention a great builder. She was delighted when the four friends stepped inside her workshop. ‘’Come on in,’’ Widget said cheerfully. ‘’I just built---Ta-da!---the new Giant Fan 3000.’’ ‘’Whoa,’’ Eleanor marveled. ‘’Wait,’’ Wubbzy cut in. ‘’Is that dangerous?’’ ‘’Uh, well…’’ Widget replied uncertainly, ‘’I’ll just test it---in the ocean!’’ ‘’Wait, now you’re throwing the fan into the ocean?’’ Wubbzy answered, bewildered. But Widget didn’t answer. She turned on the fan and immediately kicked it. It sailed far, far away, into the ocean. The fan could be heard blowing air noisily and got sucked into a whirlpool, and it disappeared. ‘’Not to worry,’’ Widget told the others. ‘’That Giant Fan 3000 can be pretty hazardous, anyway.’’ ‘’Gasp!’’ went Wubbzy. ‘’How come?’’ Hopsalot asked. ‘’Well, it could’ve blown us all away!’’ Widget said gravely. ‘’Then it’s a good thing,’’ said Eleanor. ‘’Sure thing,’’ was Widget’s answer. ‘’If your fan’s gone, then we should go see…another friend,’’ Bear suggested. ‘’Walden?’’ said Wubbzy. ‘’Exactly,’’ Bear confirmed. ‘’Wow, wow, wow!’’ Wubbzy shouted excitedly. Eleanor trumpeted. ‘’Hooray!’’ Hopsalot cried. ‘’Let’s go!’’ Widget added. So the five friends started off toward Walden’s observatory. Walden was the smartest of Wubbzy’s friends. It was no doubt that he tended to say things three times, like ‘’My, my, my’’, and ‘’Yes, yes, yes’’. It was not at all annoying, and despite his brainy way of talking, sometimes nervousness replaced it. Walden was especially happy to see the five friends entering his observatory. ‘’I’m Walden. I have a library, and I also have a place for paintings,’’ Walden explained. His observatory was huge, after all. ‘’Let us see them!’’ Wubbzy enthused. ‘’Yeah!’’ Eleanor added. ‘’Follow me,’’ Walden instructed. So the five friends journeyed to Walden’s library, where lots and lots of books were stacked. Then after Eleanor accidentally trumpeted and knocked some of the books down, Walden said he could take care of that later. Next, Walden led the quintet to his art room. Here, rows and rows of portraits were displayed. ‘’Walden?’’ Wubbzy asked after Walden had showed the five his upstairs room. ‘’Yes?’’ Walden replied. ‘’I need to tell Hopsalot, Eleanor, and Bear something,’’ Wubbzy answered. ‘’Sure, go on right ahead,’’ was Walden’s response. Wubbzy turned to Eleanor, Hopsalot, and Bear, then said, ‘’I once met a Growly-Gus!’’ ‘’''A Growly-Gus?’’ ''Eleanor cried in panic. ‘’What’s a Growly-Gus?’’ Hopsalot inquired. ‘’It is red, with long horns, and a furry tail,’’ Wubbzy explained. And Wubbzy drew a picture of the Growly-Gus to prove it. ‘’A Growly-Gus isn’t real,’’ Bear disagreed. ‘’It’s just imaginary!’’ added Eleanor and Hopsalot. ‘’No, it isn’t,’’ Wubbzy insisted. ‘’It’s real! I’ve seen it myself.’’ ‘’Even if he WERE scary, he might seem nicer than you think,’’ Hopsalot said. ‘’Uh-uh! He’s too scary!’’ cried Wubbzy. ‘’HE IS NOT!’’ Hopsalot, Eleanor, and Bear said simultaneously. ‘’He is!’’ Wubbzy argued. ‘’Believe them, Wubbzy,’’ Walden put in. ‘’Maybe you SHOULD meet that Growly-Gus again.’’ ‘’N-N-N-N-No,’’ a shaking Wubbzy stuttered. ‘’Come on, Wubbzy!’’ Eleanor reassured him. ‘’Please know that he’s harmless,’’ Hopsalot added. ‘’And be friends with him!’’ Bear exclaimed. ‘’He’s not like any other monster; he’s a FRIENDLY monster.’’ But Wubbzy was still trembling. ‘’Little buddy, you okay?’’ Widget asked, concerned. ‘’Perhaps we should take him to the Growly-Gus,’’ Hopsalot suggested. ‘’Oh, no!’’ Wubbzy managed to say. ‘’Oh, YES…’’ Eleanor answered, and they all headed out to see the not-scary Growly-Gus. … When the Growly-Gus finally came, Wubbzy gasped with fright. The Growly-Gus was growling menacingly. Wubbzy thought that the monster was going to eat him alive. But Eleanor, Hopsalot, and Bear remained calm. ‘’Ooooh!’’ the Growly-Gus crooned. ‘’Looks like I have company---at last!’’ That time, the Growly-Gus sounded friendly, though Wubbzy was still a shaking mess as he towered over them. ‘’Please be welcome, Mr. Growly-Gus,’’ Eleanor said politely. ‘’We have a friend named Wubbzy here,’’ Hopsalot cut in. ‘’Tell him that you’re friendly!’’ Bear said. ‘’I’m friendly!’’ the Growly-Gus replied. Wubbzy didn’t stop shaking. ‘’''Snap out of it!’’ ''Eleanor shouted, grabbing Wubbzy. ‘’Look at him, see his smiling face….’’ The Growly-Gus smiled his biggest smile ever at Wubbzy. Slowly, Wubbzy’s alarmed frown turned into a blissful grin. Soon, Wubbzy was dancing with the Growly-Gus and laughing happily. ‘’You were right!’’ Wubbzy said. ‘’The Growly-Gus IS friendly!’’ ‘’''Very ''friendly,’’ the Growly-Gus beamed. ‘’See?’’ Eleanor said. ‘’We told you,’’ Hopsalot replied. ‘’You sure did,’’ giggled Wubbzy. The Growly-Gus giggled, too, for he was really not a scary monster at all. In fact, he was so friendly and laughy that Widget and Walden began to smile, too. ‘’Mr. Growly-Gus,’’ Walden began. ‘’What is your favorite thing to do?’’ ‘’Make magic beanstalks!’’ the Growly-Gus boomed. He happily threw some magic beans on the ground, and soon, the ground began to shake. Gradually, a beanstalk started to extend, eventually touching the clouds. ‘’Impressive, isn’t it?’’ the Growly-Gus boasted. ‘’Oh, yes,’’ Bear marveled. ‘’I’m gonna climb it!’’ the Growly-Gus announced. He started to climb the beanstalk, and Wubbzy, Walden, and Widget joined him. ‘’Good-bye!’’ Eleanor called sweetly. ‘’Have fun!’’ Hopsalot answered. ‘’It was nice to meet you,’’ Eleanor told Bear. ‘’Yeah, it was,’’ Bear replied. So the three friends headed back to the Jumpstart world, using a portal. Eleanor and Hopsalot retreated into their own homes, and the screen blacked out. Bear eventually got out of the TV. He had such a wonderful adventure. THE END Category:A abb Category:Pages that are too long Category:This is not a logo.